Government is being challenged to look towards the establishment of the cannabis industry to guarantee its five per cent growth projection of the economy on the eve of CanEx Jamaica Business Conference & Expo set for the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Friday, September 1.

“One has to believe that the powers that be are taking note and that the cannabis opportunity is not just being guided as any new industry that would be considered, but that the Government sees it as a substantive opportunity to realise the five growth plan that has been so powerfully articulated of late,” Canex organiser Douglas Gordon argues.

The event organiser further asserts that “one of the key factors that gets overlooked is the number of verticals a legal cannabis industry opens up”.

“From infused spa treatments to topicals, effective and safe pain management, to promoting healthy lifestyle choices,” Gordon stated.

“It’s not just a matter of looking at top-line economic impact and its positive translation on a per capita basis, it’s understanding that a legal industry opens the door to so many additional opportunities — whether that be conducting research and clinical trials to developing themed weddings and experiences. The scope of opportunity is extremely broad and the financial implications for enterprises from micro to macro are exhaustive.”

Meanwhile, American celebrity television personality, radio talk show host and actor Montel Williams will be the guest speaker at the opening ceremony of the conference.

Williams recently launched a line of high-quality, user-friendly marijuana products via his Lenitiv Labs company, and he is also one of the pioneers who used his influence to drive awareness and educate the public about the healing and medicinal properties of cannabis.

For over two decades the American, who has multiple sclerosis, has been a public and outspoken advocate for the use of cannabis in treating the autoimmune disease.

Meanwhile, according to Gordon, so far 20 other speakers have confirmed their attendance at the second annual conference, including: Dr Henry Lowe, four-time NBA champion and cannabis advocate John Salleya, and high-powered cannabis attorney Hilary Bricken of BrickenHarris and the Canna Law Group.

Also included in the line-up of speakers are: Chairman of Regulate Florida Dr Uma Dhanabalan of Harvard and a certified cannabis practitioner; Balram Vaswani of Ganja Inc; Orville Silvera of the Ganja Growers Association; Larissa Bolivar, head of Grow Green Cannabis in Colorado; and Delano Seiveright, special advisor to the minister of tourism and director of Cannabis Licensing Authority.

CanEx Jamaica was established to highlight economic benefits of a robust cannabis industry.